Humidifier.



- n. c. ULBBICH.

HUMIDIFIER.

(Application filed Jan. 9, 1898.)

Patentad Aug. 7, I900.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD C. ULBRICII, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HUMlDIFIEFi.

SIPEGIFIGA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,467, dated August 7, 1900.

Application filed January 9, 1899.

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD C. ULBRIOH, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massa'-. chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Humidifiers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is an improvement in humidifyin g apparatus, such as is used for maintaining a moist atmosphere in rooms in certain lines of textile manufacture. 'The usual form of this kind of apparatus has a discharge-nozzle which discharges a jet of water against an opposite spraying-surface, the latter serving to break up the stream and scatter it in a shower of flnely-comminuted sprays. My invention departs entirely from the usual form of apparatus in that it employs no opposite surface for the stream to impinge against, but provides a discharge-nozzle so constructed as to produce the spray itself.

To this end my invention comprises a nozzle provided with means for producing a whirl or vortex in the stream as it escapes from the nozzle.

A further feature of my invention resides in providing an air-collector which prevents the undue precipitation of the moisture, which has heretofore caused damage. In this connection I might mention a further feature of invention residing in the provision of means for automatically clearing or cleaning out the pipes and nozzle.

Various other features of improvement will be pointed out in the course of the following description and hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings, in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 shows the same in central vertical section. Fig.2 is a similar view showing the apparatus in position for clearing out the nozzle and pipes. Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the nozzle-filter and cleanout arrangement. Fig.'-t is a considerably-enlarged sectional detail of the nozzle.

The casing Ct, flaring base a, drip-discharge a central cone C63, and various other details of apparatus may be of any usual or preferred kind and need not therefore be herein described in detail.

Secured in suitable position in the casing Serial No. 701,567. (No model.)

a, herein shown as to a bale h, is my iniproved discharge apparatus c. This apparatus is herein shown as comprising a central body 0, provided with an offset 0 connected by a union 0 with a supply-pipe c, said body having secured to its threaded lower end a chamber 0 to which is secured the nozzle proper, c and at its upper end the body a is connected with a spring-housing or auxiliary chamber 0 shown as screwed onto the body and containing at its lower end a gland 0 in which operates a rod 0 said rod passing out at the upper end of the housing where it is provided with an eye 0 engaged by the inner free end of an operating-lever e pivoted at e to an arm 0 of the securing-clamp 0 which fastens the nozzle apparatus on the bale, said leverbeing operated by any suitable means (n' ot shown) connected thereto at c or, if desired, at 2 direct. The rod '0 carries a shoulder or washer a, between which and the upper end of the housing is mounted a spring 0 normally holding the rod in downward position. At its lower end the rod 0 is provided with a twisted or screw-like rib 0 which when the rod is depressed fits within the cavity of the discharge-nozzle '0 and constitutes a single convolute channel for the flow of the water, the discharge endof the nozzle 0 being also preferably flared outwardly at its extreme end 0 The chamber 0 contains an improved filtering apparatus which I prefer to use in connection with the mechanismexplained, this apparatus being herein shown as "comprising a foraminous or sieve-like wall 0 suspended from an open-work grid e mounted on flanges e at the upper end of the chamber, said wall being slightly smaller than the chamber, so that there will always be an annular space between the wall 0 and the walls of the chamber for the flow of water. The foraminous wall 0 is herein shown as composed of perforated copper or wire and is provided at its base with a ring or support 0 raised slightly by blocks 0 from the bottom of the chamber, said support being centrally apertured and normally closed, by a disk or flange 0 fast on the rod 0 and arranged to rise and fall with the latter for a purpose presently to be described. The result is that when the apparatus is in operation, as shown in Fig. 1, a shower of spray is delivered in the form of an inverted cone, as clearly shown in said figure. One serious difficulty, however, is experienced in this general form of apparatus due to the fact that occasionally the air will become confined beneath the cone of water and the unremitting shower of spray will compress the air to such an extent that it seeks relief by bursting through the spray in some direction, producing a condensation at that point, which, it will be understood, is a very serious matter in actual practice. AccordinglyIhave devised means for effectually counteracting this tendency and for rendering it impossible that any air should become pocketed within the shower of spray. To this end I provide an air-tower t, herein shown as mounted on the'central cone a and as in the form of achimney or section of pipe held away from the cone a and its base, so as to afford free exits tfor the air, as indicated by the arrow, and having a beveled top t for more readily cooperating with the shower of spray. The efiect of this air-tower is that no air can become confined improperly, inasmuch as it necessarily finds free passage in either direction required through the tower t.

By this means I find that the operation of the apparatus and the quality of the spray are much improved. The air-tower being centrally located, as shown, cooperates with the blast of spray to produce a balanced effect and improves the general circulation of the apparatus, while it is also in a position to cooperate with the automatic cleaning feature of my invention, as will be more apparent from the description of operation.

In order to prevent to the best advantage any vacuum or tendency of the spray to be deflected or drawn in toward the center, away from its proper comminuted condition, I have found that it is necessary that the tower should have the opening at its extreme upper edge and also that the tower should at all points below said upper edge be equal or greater in diameter than said top edge opening, and preferably the tower increases throughout its length from its top edge to its bottom. If the tower curves inwardly beneath said top edge at any point, the result is that the rush of air follows said curved formation and produces an inward draft, or, in other words, gives the spray a tendency to hug in toward the tower, and thereby produce coarse spray or individual drops of water, which are of course disastrous in this general class of apparatus. If any water should accidentally work through into the auxiliary chamber 0 it can escape through vents 0 provided through the walls of said chamber.

, In practice the water is turned on by means .of the inlet-valve d and flows through the meshes of the sieve-like filter 0 passing down in the annular space between the filter and the chamber and out at the bottom, being given a rapid whirl by the screw-like plug or end 0 Withinthe nozzle-tip c, the result being that when the stream of water under pressure is discharged at the orifice 0 it is driven in an umbilical shower, as shown in Fig. 1, producing all of the advantageous effects heretofore derived from the old kind of apparatus, there being, however, not the slightest chance of condensation from my apparatus for the reason that there is nothing whatever adjacent the discharge-orifice for the water to impinge against, nor is there any possibility of confined air. In the old apparatus it will be understood that there is always necessarily a support or arm carrying the opposite spraying device, and more or 7 less of thewater discharged impinges against this arm and produces a slight amount of condensation, while also, as already explained,

the same result is produced to the same extent by the confined air.

It is very essential in the arts using humidifiers that there should be no large globules of water, such as are produced by uneven condensation, and accordingly it will be understood that my invention insures greater perfection than has heretofore been possible.

One serious difficulty with this class ofapparatus is that the pipes, and especially the discharge-nozzle, are liable to become clogged with sediment and foreign matter, and they have heretofore been cleaned out with difiiculty. My apparatus, however, provides means for automatically flushing or cleaning the nozzle and pipes without taking the apparatus apart or dismembering any portion of it. When it is desired to clean the parts mentioned, all that is necessary is simply to pull down on the lever 0 thereby raising the rod 0 against its spring 0 and the lifting of the rod serves to remove the plug-like end a from the nozzle 0 and at the same time lift the disk 0 thereby opening the bottom of the filter, the result being that a free vention resides in providing the separablebody and filter-chamber, so that the filter can be taken out quicklysimplyby unscrewing it and without requiring that the entire discharge apparatus should be uncoupled from the supply-pipe and bale.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the specific details of its preferred embodiment, I wish it understood that I am not limited in any wise to these details, inasmuch as many changes may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention. I

I am aware that fire-hose and-mi-ning-pilotshave been provided with means for giving the stream of water a slightly-whirling action at its discharge in order to hold the water more successfully in a single stream as it was delivered, and I am aware that certain fountains and analogous apparatus have been provided with means for discharging water in a shower, and therefore disclaim all such apparatus and wish it understood that I restrict my invention to providing means in a humidifier forcausing the discharge of the water directly from the discharge-orifice in a properlycomminuted spray, such as is desired and required in humidifier apparatus.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a humidifier, a discharge-nozzle, combined with a screw-like plug contained within said nozzle for giving the Water at the discharge a rapid whirling movement, said plug being carried at the lower end of a rod mounted to reciprocate in said nozzle, substantially as described.

2. A humidifier-nozzle, having a water-inlet, a nozzle-discharge, a rod mounted to reciprocate in said nozzle, said rod having at one end a solid screw-like plug to restrict the nozzle-discharge, and at its other end above said water-inlet being provided with a spring normally holding said plug in the nozzle-discharge, substantially as described.

3. A humidifier apparatus having a waterinlet, a nozzle, a rod mounted to reciprocate in said nozzle, said rod having at one end a screw-like plug to restrict the nozzledischarge, and at its other end being provided with a spring normally holding said plug in the nozzle, a housing for said spring, said spring and housing being above the waterinlet and out of contact with the water, and an operating-lever for said rod, substantially as described.

In a humidifier, means for delivering a shower of spray in the form of an inverted cone, and an air-tower having continuouslydivergent walls from the extreme top opening to the bottom located centrally of and eX- tending up within said cone of spray close to the said delivery means, for giving free passage of air within the cone of spray, substantially as described.

5. In a humidifier, a discharge-nozzle for delivering a cone of spray, means for passing a solid stream of water through and from said nozzle and a tall air-tower located centrally below said nozzle and extending up close to the nozzle and normally within the cone of spray, said air-tower having'its external Walls larger than the top edge opening at all points below said top edge and being in position to receive said solid stream of water, substantiall y as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD o. ULBRICH.

Witnesses:

EDITH M. STODDARD, FREDERICK L. EMERY. 

